Model Railroading > Athearn Genesis SP GP9 Tsunami Question

I'm working on a friends SP GP9.  He has no manual for it and I having some issues in programming certain CV's that don't seem to match up to the Soundtraxx Tsunami manual.
Most importantly are the lighting effects.  Currently F0 does nothing, F5 turns on the Mars lights, which are directional.  Nothing turns on the red emergency light.  I've opened it up and there are at least 4 bulbs on each end.  I'm suspecting the head lights/rear lights are burned out.  Though it seems strange both sets would be that way.

I've tried re-assigning the functions so F0 does what F5 does currently, no change.

Suggestions?

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

I would reset the decoder to factory default settings.

Use the programming track to set cv8 to a value of 8, then try to run it on the layout track using 
locomotive address 03 and see what happens with lights.

 

Thanks.  I missed the reset function, only saw it as Manufacture ID.

I don't have a Progamming booster available, so I'm doing OPs mode programming to change the address to a 4 digit one (which worked).

In page mode programming, I was able to get the decoder to reset and voila, the headlights and Mars lights work.

Set up the 4 digit address again, and the headlights no longer work.  This I did in Ops mode by setting cv 17 to 214, cv 18 to 2 and cv 29 to 32.   The decoder responds to the new address, but no headlights.

Any more ideas?

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

Steve, have you found http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM_pages/athearn/athearn.php  and http://www.athearn.com/dcc/

Joe Brugger
Portland

Joe:

No, I hadn't.  Good information, with a clue in there as to the problem.

cv29 default of 6 and decoder 2 digit address of 03, and the headlight function works.  Change cv29 to 32 (extended address, DCC only) and F0 has no effect.  cv29 to 38 and F0 works as expected.

So in order for F0 to work, you can't have DCC only.

Thanks for the help.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

The red emergency light is never illuminated from the factory, the only way would be a custom install by you

Jeff

I figured that was the case.   I wired up a SP GE with the full light package before I knew exactly how SP used those lights.  Not much value to a model railroad, other than to say "look what I did!".



chitownjeff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The red emergency light is never illuminated from
> the factory, the only way would be a custom
> install by you
>
> Jeff

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography